Wednesday, February 23, 2011

dancer appreciation day

Last night, we had our first creative team meeting for VOTE! in St Andrews. I'm getting so excited, you guys! SO much is happening. Our website is being overhauled, the new concept album will be up shortly, and much much more. It's all got me thinking about these two very special ladies, Rachelle Rak & Deidre Goodwin.

In the smash documentary, Every Little Step, about the casting of the Broadway A Chorus Line Revival, these two lovelies were up for the same iconic role of Sheila. Dee Dee got it and played Sheila for the length of the run, grooving out in that nude jumpsuit to "At the Ballet." (Marvin Hamlisch, you're the man.)

But we brought them back together for VOTE! at Fringe, where Dee was just perfection as Ms. Fowler and Rak Attack was our choreographer. They are both just so so special.

Rak really made everyone tow the line. And even though Fowler doesn't dance much, Dee did dance in the bows megamix, inspiring one of my favorite moments in the whole process. Chad, one of the assistant choreographers was cleaning up the the bows before we opened. He stopped everyone and called their attention. "Guys, guys, guys," he said. "I'm not sure if you're aware...that you are dancing...with Ms. Deidre Goodwin right now? So, I'm gonna need to to step it up. Thank you."

Both of them are Broadway treasures. And two of the best dancers alive today. Soon, you'll be able to see Ms. Rak stealing the show in Catch Me If You Can (ugh, dying to see! Been listening to that demo for what seems like years now.) And Dee is tearing up the tv and movie screens left and right.

If you've never seen Every Little Step, please step away from your computer and do so now. Every time I hear Dee almost cry in the camera about how she didn't work for a year and thought she was supposed to quit the business, I just...lose it. You will too. It's probably the best documentary about what casting (about a show about casting) is really like ever made.

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Why Stop Now?

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void.